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Evidence against the physiological role of acetyl phosphate in the phosphorylation of the ArcA response regulator in Escherichia coli

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Abstract

The Arc two-component signal transduction system of Escherichia coli comprises the ArcB sensor kinase and the ArcA response regulator. Under anoxic growth conditions, ArcB autophosphorylates and transphos-phorylates ArcA, which, in turn, represses or activates its target operons. ArcA has been shown to be able to autophosphorylate in vitro at the expense of acetyl-P. Here, the in vivo effect of acetyl phosphate on the redox signal transduction by the Arc system was assessed. Our results indicate that acetyl phosphate can modulate the expression of ArcA-P target genes only in the absence of ArcB. Therefore, the acetyl phosphate dependent ArcA phosphorylation route does not seem to play a significant role under physiological conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Xueqiao Liu

  2. Departamento de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico

    Gabriela R. Peña Sandoval & Dimitris Georgellis

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Barry L. Wanner

  4. Integrative Omics Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 305-333, Republic of Korea

    Won Seok Jung & Ohsuk Kwon

Authors
  1. Xueqiao Liu
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  2. Gabriela R. Peña Sandoval
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  3. Barry L. Wanner
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  4. Won Seok Jung
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  5. Dimitris Georgellis
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  6. Ohsuk Kwon
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Correspondence to Ohsuk Kwon.

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Liu, X., Peña Sandoval, G.R., Wanner, B.L. et al. Evidence against the physiological role of acetyl phosphate in the phosphorylation of the ArcA response regulator in Escherichia coli . J Microbiol. 47, 657–662 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-009-0087-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-009-0087-9

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